iLiad vs. Sony PRS-505

ReaderAtFargo · 01-02-2008, 03:58 PM

I own both readers, the Sony PRS-505 for my wife and the iLiad for me. There is no place for comparison here, the iLiad is simply much better. It comes with the price, of course...

a) iLiads handles large files (books with many pages) much better that PRS-505. It takes much more time for PRS-505 to turn a page of a large book, up to 15 sec sometimes! That could be very frustrating (my wife doesn't curse but, boy, one of those days...).

b) there is an apparent bug in the Sony PRS-505 software. In pdf files created with MS Word 2007, all pages after page 1000 are...blank.

c) shame on Sony, their technical support is nowhere to be compared with the technical support of the much smaller Dutch company. I guess, Sony is just interested in getting your money for a half-baked product (they had to meet a deadline for the Christmas 2007 shopping season) and then you're on your own.

Alisa · 01-02-2008, 04:59 PM

Fifteen seconds! How large a book are we talking about here?

ReaderAtFargo · 01-02-2008, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alisa

Fifteen seconds! How large a book are we talking about here?

About 1,700 pages in pdf format

HarryT · 01-03-2008, 03:42 AM

I'm guessing that the PDF has embedded fonts; that can dramatically slow down page turning.

Do you not find the 45s boot-up time of the iLiad to be inconvenient? It's the main reason I switched from the iLiad to the Gen3.

gwynevans · 01-03-2008, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReaderAtFargo

About 1,700 pages in pdf format

You have tried the Sony with it's native format books, haven't you?

If you need a pure PDF viewer then the larger screen will be better, but if purely for reading, using a .LRF file without embedded fonts should provide an extirely different experience from the one you describe with the Sony.

ReaderAtFargo · 01-03-2008, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwynevans

You have tried the Sony with it's native format books, haven't you?

If you need a pure PDF viewer then the larger screen will be better, but if purely for reading, using a .LRF file without embedded fonts should provide an extirely different experience from the one you describe with the Sony.

You are right. The problem is that I couldn't find another way of embedding fonts in the books but pdf.

ReaderAtFargo · 01-03-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm guessing that the PDF has embedded fonts; that can dramatically slow down page turning.

Do you not find the 45s boot-up time of the iLiad to be inconvenient? It's the main reason I switched from the iLiad to the Gen3.

Yes, but the 45s boot up time is only when you boot up, right? Waiting 5-10-15s for each page to turn is a different (and much more frustrating) story. In iLiad it takes 1-2s for a page to turn and you hardly notice it.

gwynevans · 01-03-2008, 11:55 AM

Hmm - While I believe you can also embed font in an LRF doc for the Sony (99% certain using Book Designer - don't know about other apps), I've not actually tried it, so don't know how it effects the page-turn speed.

With the native fonts, the page turn speed is also at the ~1s speed where you don't really notice it but I've no idea how much that might slow down with a LRF with fonts...

HarryT · 01-03-2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwynevans

Hmm - While I believe you can also embed font in an LRF doc for the Sony (99% certain using Book Designer - don't know about other apps), I've not actually tried it, so don't know how it effects the page-turn speed.

Quite a lot. Try this download. It's a sample LRF file I uploaded containing Book 1 of Homer's "Odyssey" in Ionic Greek, with an embedded Greek font.

AnemicOak · 01-03-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Quite a lot. Try this download. It's a sample LRF file I uploaded containing Book 1 of Homer's "Odyssey" in Ionic Greek, with an embedded Greek font.

I'm going to have to download it even though I can't read it. I just have to see it, it sounds so cool.

redbaron101 · 01-04-2008, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReaderAtFargo

Yes, but the 45s boot up time is only when you boot up, right? Waiting 5-10-15s for each page to turn is a different (and much more frustrating) story. In iLiad it takes 1-2s for a page to turn and you hardly notice it.

hmmm, i would agree with Fargo, For me having to wait 45seconds is a huge drag, but at the trade off with quick page turns, I can see myself getting very annoyed if I had to wait 10/15 seconds for each page turn. Especially as I often turn back a page shortly after turning a page, when I want to reread a few paragraphs back.

Does anoyone know if the Gen3 suffers this phenomenon on large pdfs/embedded fonts too?

DrMoze · 01-04-2008, 09:58 PM

I've read many novels on my 500 and 505 Readers. Page turns are very fast--but I don't load huge pdf files. I also prefer the portability (carries and reads like a paperback but thinner/lighter), instant on (important for quick reads on my commute), and the 2+ weeks between recharges. That is a huge plus for daily use and travel.

gwynevans · 01-05-2008, 06:33 AM

Well, I've just been trying out embedding the Calibri font in an .LRF file using BookDesigner, and I'd estimate that it changes the page turn time from ~1s to ~5 secs. It's longer than I'd like, but it's still short enough that I'll consider it worth continuing to evaluate using that as an embedded font in books I convert.

akiburis · 01-05-2008, 11:02 AM

I've prepared lots of material for my own use on the 500 and 505 readers using PDF with embedded fonts. Yes, there's an appreciable difference in page-turn time from lrf files without embedded fonts. Appreciable when I make a deliberate comparison, that is, but I wouldn't call it dramatic even then, and it's negligible in practice (when I'm just reading). The delay before the flash to the new page is increased by a fraction of a second, that's all; the total page-turn time is still ~1 second.

01-02-2008, 03:58 PM	#1
ReaderAtFargo eBookLover Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: PRS-505, iLiad	iLiad vs. Sony PRS-505 I own both readers, the Sony PRS-505 for my wife and the iLiad for me. There is no place for comparison here, the iLiad is simply much better. It comes with the price, of course... a) iLiads handles large files (books with many pages) much better that PRS-505. It takes much more time for PRS-505 to turn a page of a large book, up to 15 sec sometimes! That could be very frustrating (my wife doesn't curse but, boy, one of those days...). b) there is an apparent bug in the Sony PRS-505 software. In pdf files created with MS Word 2007, all pages after page 1000 are...blank. c) shame on Sony, their technical support is nowhere to be compared with the technical support of the much smaller Dutch company. I guess, Sony is just interested in getting your money for a half-baked product (they had to meet a deadline for the Christmas 2007 shopping season) and then you're on your own.

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01-02-2008, 04:59 PM	#2
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	Fifteen seconds! How large a book are we talking about here?

01-03-2008, 03:42 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm guessing that the PDF has embedded fonts; that can dramatically slow down page turning. Do you not find the 45s boot-up time of the iLiad to be inconvenient? It's the main reason I switched from the iLiad to the Gen3.

01-03-2008, 11:55 AM	#8
gwynevans Wizzard Posts: 1,402 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: iPad 2, iPhone 6s, Kindle Voyage & Kindle PaperWhite	Hmm - While I believe you can also embed font in an LRF doc for the Sony (99% certain using Book Designer - don't know about other apps), I've not actually tried it, so don't know how it effects the page-turn speed. With the native fonts, the page turn speed is also at the ~1s speed where you don't really notice it but I've no idea how much that might slow down with a LRF with fonts...

01-04-2008, 09:58 PM	#12
DrMoze Booknut Posts: 860 Karma: 2852 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida! Device: Sony Reader 500/505/300/350, Nook Glowlight Plus (6")	I've read many novels on my 500 and 505 Readers. Page turns are very fast--but I don't load huge pdf files. I also prefer the portability (carries and reads like a paperback but thinner/lighter), instant on (important for quick reads on my commute), and the 2+ weeks between recharges. That is a huge plus for daily use and travel.

01-05-2008, 06:33 AM	#13
gwynevans Wizzard Posts: 1,402 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: iPad 2, iPhone 6s, Kindle Voyage & Kindle PaperWhite	Well, I've just been trying out embedding the Calibri font in an .LRF file using BookDesigner, and I'd estimate that it changes the page turn time from ~1s to ~5 secs. It's longer than I'd like, but it's still short enough that I'll consider it worth continuing to evaluate using that as an embedded font in books I convert.

01-05-2008, 11:02 AM	#14
akiburis Connoisseur Posts: 66 Karma: 614 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York Device: Sony PRS-505, iLiad Book Edition	I've prepared lots of material for my own use on the 500 and 505 readers using PDF with embedded fonts. Yes, there's an appreciable difference in page-turn time from lrf files without embedded fonts. Appreciable when I make a deliberate comparison, that is, but I wouldn't call it dramatic even then, and it's negligible in practice (when I'm just reading). The delay before the flash to the new page is increased by a fraction of a second, that's all; the total page-turn time is still ~1 second.